Celery—it’s the low-calorie, high-fiber food that’s often touted as a dieter’s best friend. You can chop up celery stalks and pair them with a low-calorie dip for a healthy snack or add them to a green salad for some extra crunch. But can celery really help you lose weight?
The idea that celery juice is a magical weight loss elixir has been circulating for a while now. You may have seen people sipping on celery juice on social media or heard about the benefits of drinking celery juice from a friend or family member. While it cannot be denied that celery is a healthy food, the claims that it can help you lose weight on its own are unfounded.
Here’s why celery juice alone won’t help you lose weight and what you should drink instead if you’re looking to shed a few pounds.
To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means you need to burn more calories than you consume. This translates to eating fewer calories than you burn through exercise and everyday activities (19).
While celery juice won’t help you lose weight on its own, it may help you lose weight as part of a calorie-restricted diet. The main benefit of celery juice is that it’s low in calories.
A cup of celery juice contains just 30 calories, which means it’s a great replacement for sugary drinks such as soda or fruit juice. Swapping high-calorie drinks for low-calorie options such as celery juice can help you create a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss.
Drinking a glass of pure celery juice before a meal may also help you eat fewer calories overall. One study found that people who drank water before a meal ate fewer calories in their meal (10). It’s possible that celery juice could have a similar effect.
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Celery juice may have several other benefits:
Celery is high in phytonutrients (plant-based compounds) that have anti-inflammatory properties. One class of phytonutrients in celery is called luteolin (2).
Luteolin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in test tube studies. High levels of chronic inflammation have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (1).
Celery juice may help lower blood pressure. It contains nitrates—compounds that can be converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a gas that relaxes blood vessels and helps improve blood flow (1).
The nitrates in celery juice aren’t harmful like those that are found in processed meats, which have been linked to negative health effects.
Celery juice may also help lower cholesterol levels. In an older study, celery extract was found to reduce serum cholesterol in rats with genetically high cholesterol (10).
More research is required to understand what, if any, effect eating celery or drinking celery juice may have on cholesterol in humans.
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While there are some potential benefits of drinking celery juice, there are also a few downsides that must be considered.
Celery juice is high in sodium, which can be a problem for people with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart failure. A cup of celery juice has just under 200 mg of sodium—approximately 8% of the daily value (DV) (14). Some store-bought juices may have additional salt, which would increase the sodium content.
To put this into perspective, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day for most people (approximately 1 tsp of salt) (12). So, a cup of celery juice represents approximately 8% of the AHA’s daily recommended sodium intake. Some people are recommended by their doctors to limit their sodium intake even further than that.
If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart failure, it’s best to avoid or limit foods that are high in sodium, such as celery juice, particularly if there’s any added salt.
In addition, if you’re on certain medications such as blood thinners, you should talk to your doctor about potential interactions between celery juice and your medication (14).
Juicing celery also removes the fiber from the vegetable. Fiber is an important nutrient that has a number of health benefits, including supporting weight loss, improved digestion, and lower cholesterol levels (9). Without fiber, celery juice doesn’t offer the same health benefits as eating whole celery.
If you’re looking to lose weight, there are better beverages to drink than celery juice. Some of these beverages have been suggested by science to help with weight loss and they may also offer other health benefits.
Green tea is a great alternative to celery juice for weight loss. It contains catechins—compounds that may boost metabolism and increase fat burning. Green tea is also an excellent source of antioxidants, which have numerous potential health benefits (3).
Like green tea, coffee contains compounds that may boost metabolism and increase fat burning. Coffee is also a great source of antioxidants. In addition, coffee can help you feel full and reduce your appetite. This is important as feeling full can help you eat fewer calories and lose weight (4). It can also help give you some extra energy for exercise, an important part of any weight loss routine.
Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for weight loss. It’s calorie-free and it can help you feel fuller and eat fewer calories. Water is also essential for many other functions in the body, including detoxification, digestion, and joint lubrication (20).
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Smoothies differ from juices as they contain whole fruits or vegetables, including all of their fiber, which makes them a much healthier option, especially for weight loss.
If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to celery juice, try making a celery smoothie. Simply mix celery, water, and your favorite fruits and vegetables in a blender. You can add other ingredients to boost the nutrition and health benefits.
Some ingredients you may want to add to your smoothie include:
Pure, homemade celery juice is the best option if you choose to drink celery juice. To make celery juice, you’ll need a juicer.
If you don’t have a juicer, you can use a blender. However, you may need to strain the pulp from the juice using a cheesecloth or coffee filter, or you can leave it in if you prefer.
Celery is a great source of fiber and antioxidants, but it won’t help you lose belly fat. In fact, there’s no food that can help you spot-reduce fat from any specific area of your body.
When you lose weight, you’ll lose fat from all over your body, including your belly. In order to lose weight, you’ll need to create a calorie deficit, which means you need to burn more calories than you consume (6).
The best way to do this is to make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet and get regular exercise. If you’re looking to specifically target belly fat, adding cardio and strength training to your routine will help (19).
Drinking celery juice before meals may help you eat fewer calories and lose weight. This is because celery juice (or any other fluid) can help you feel fuller, making you less likely to overeat. It’s also low in calories, so it won’t add many calories to your diet.
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s also important to avoid drinking high-calorie beverages such as juices and sodas. These drinks can quickly add up and prevent you from losing weight. Stick to water, unsweetened green or herbal tea, and black coffee instead.
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A safe and healthy rate of weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week (13). This means that if you consume a reduced-calorie diet and include exercise, you can lose up to 8 pounds in a month. Celery juice may help you create the necessary calorie deficit to lose this amount of weight by replacing sugary or other high-calorie drinks.
Of course, this will also be dependent on other factors, including your diet and exercise habits. If you make other changes to your lifestyle in addition to drinking celery juice, you may see even better results.
Drinking celery juice every day may be okay, but we advise you to practice moderation. Too much of anything, even the healthiest foods, is not good for you. Celery is a low-calorie vegetable that is packed with essential nutrients such as vitamin K, potassium, and folate. Its high water content also makes it a hydrating beverage choice. When it is juiced, celery can provide an even more concentrated dose of these nutrients. Proponents of drinking celery juice every day claim that it has numerous health benefits, including: While there are potential benefits of drinking celery juice every day, it’s important to also consider any potential risks. Some concerns include: While drinking celery juice every day may offer some potential benefits, it’s important to practice moderation. Consuming large amounts of any one food or beverage may lead to imbalances in your overall diet and may not necessarily provide any additional benefits. Check out our Vegetable Juice Benefits for more information on the potential health benefits of juicing other vegetables. Before you incorporate celery juice into your daily routine, it’s important to consider if you fall into any of the following categories where drinking celery juice may be unsuitable for you: In our previous blog, Celery Juice Diet, we discussed the potential benefits and drawbacks of following a celery juice-only diet. Juicing isn’t the best method for losing belly fat as it removes the fiber from fruits and vegetables, which is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system and helping you feel full after meals. In addition, juicing large amounts of high-sugar fruits can lead to an inadvertent increase in calorie intake and may contribute to weight gain (7). Furthermore, targeting fat loss in one specific area, such as the belly, is impossible. Weight loss occurs throughout the body when a calorie deficit is created. Rather than relying solely on juicing, it’s important to maintain a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Incorporating regular exercise and staying hydrated can also help with your weight loss efforts (13). There’s insufficient scientific evidence to support the claim that celery speeds up metabolism. While celery is a low-calorie vegetable, it doesn’t contain any magical fat-burning properties. Metabolism is simply the process by which your body converts food into energy. It is influenced by a variety of factors, including age, gender, genetics, and activity level. Eating a well-balanced diet and remaining physically active are the best ways to support a healthy metabolism. Our 3-Day Juice Cleanse Recipe includes a balanced mix of fruits and vegetables, including celery, to help reset your diet and give your body a boost of nutrients. It’s important to remember to always listen to your body and consult a healthcare professional before you make any significant changes to your diet.FAQs
Is it OK to drink celery juice every day?
Who shouldn’t drink celery juice?
Can I lose belly fat by juicing?
Does celery speed up metabolism?
Celery juice is a popular beverage that’s often touted for its health benefits, including weight loss. However, there’s no evidence to support these claims. There are actually better beverages to drink for weight loss, such as green tea, coffee, and water. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to celery juice, try making a celery smoothie or simply eating celery whole as a snack.
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